The Mischief Kuroko Manages
by belncaz
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya was there the night Voldemort killed Harry Potter's parents, but Dumbledore sent him 10 years into the future and to another country to avoid any interference with his plans for Harry. Now Kuroko is set to attend Hogwarts as part of an exchange program and Dumbledore is interested in seeing what's become of the young wizard. He may not be ready for what's ahead.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** : Neither the Harry Potter nor the Kuroko no Basuke universes belong to me.

 **Introduction:** I am taking significant liberties with both the HP and KNB plots. For the purposes of this story, **Dumbledore is still alive**. Essentially, he sent Kuroko into the future in Japan to keep his plans for Harry in place, but he'll encounter Kuroko again in what would be Kuroko's third year at Hogwarts (so the KNB group are teenagers, ~13 years old, but Harry and his cohort have already had their battle with Voldemort and grown up).

 **Rating & Genre**: T, Fantasy/Friendship. The rating might go up, but as currently intended, there will be some swearing, some non-graphic descriptions of violence, and some characterization that might not be appropriate for those under 13. Also…this might eventually turn into a romance fic. I haven't decided yet.

 **AN:** Thanks to **Sakura Lisel** for catching my abysmal math skills. :) It's possible its still not right (really, they weren't lying when they said horrible things happen to [authors] that mess with time). Here's the approximate timeline: Kuroko is one year old when he is sent **into the future 10 years** , he then **_ages normally_** and this story is picking up right before Kuroko would enter Hogwarts as a third year student. So he's essentially 10 years younger than Harry.

The Mischief Kuroko Manages

Chapter 1

The aftermath of Lord Voldemort's defeat in Godric's Hollow would affect many lives, including, of course, one Harry James Potter. The infant had an interesting physical scar to memorialize the occasion, as well as the lasting emotional legacy of losing his parents. He would soon be known as The Boy Who Lived and become famous in the wizarding world for being the only person to survive the Avada Kedavra curse.

Albus Percival Wulfric Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, stared down at the newly orphaned baby in his crib, who was sleeping and unaware of either the significance of the evening or of his own crucial role in events to come. He would have to go to his relatives of course, a muggle aunt and uncle in Surrey that had a young child of their own. Easily arranged, as they would have to fall in line with this matter, and Harry would acquire the protection invoked by Lily's sacrifice.

But it was this other child, a quiet infant with a startling shock of blue hair that matched his eyes, which gave Dumbledore pause. Lily and James had not told him they had visitors, and it was clear to Dumbledore that this child would also be a formidable wizard in his own right. Lord Voldemort had not noticed the child, an understandable result of his lack of presence, but Dumbledore was not blinded by the same myopic purpose that had lured the dark wizard to this place.

Dumbledore turned toward the child's parents, who were standing silently, completely shell shocked by what had transpired that night. "You cannot ever speak of this - that you or the boy were here tonight. You will not mention your connection to the Potters and certainly you will not tell your son he was an early playmate of Harry's. It will only endanger all of you if the Death Eaters learn of your existence."

They nodded their understanding, but then a calculating gleam entered Dumbledore's eyes.

"Forgive me, but I am afraid I cannot extend to you the courtesy of trusting your word. I will have to take…precautions. I will, unfortunately, need to make quite a few changes to your lives to ensure you cannot interfere in Harry's destiny. You will be sent to Japan, and he will grow up there in accordance with the Japanese Ministry of Magic's ordinances. And well, naturally you will have no memory of tonight's events."

And then, before they had a moment to even protest, Dumbledore began casting a complicated and truth be told, illegal, incantation. He was not only erasing their memories, he was changing their very identities to become Japanese nationals that had never visited England in their lives, let alone at such a pivotal time. For good measure, he'd also sent them a decade into the future, with enchantments designed to ensure they wouldn't be out of place.

If Dumbledore felt a momentary twinge of unease at the infant's unwavering blue gaze as the family disappeared in a swirl of silvery mist, he pushed it aside. He wasn't a complete monster, he'd arranged for the family to be comfortable in their new lives in Tokyo. And by sending them into the future…well, little Tetsuya would grow up hearing of the amazing exploits of Harry Potter's triumphant victory over Lord Voldemort. He would be free from the burden and worry of these dark times. Truly, Dumbledore was giving him a gift of sorts. And then Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, satisfied that the Kurokos would not pose a problem and that he could proceed with managing the life of the Boy Who Lived without further complications. Where was Hagrid by the way…they needed to get things moving…

And so Dumbledore pushed the Kuroko family from his mind, unaware that the brief contact with the Potters had still left a mark on the young blue haired wizard. He might never remember his encounter with Harry Potter, but Lily's selfless act had offered protection of another kind to the young child that was visiting her own precious son – Kuroko was enveloped in a shield that kept him safe from the corrosive effects of the type of hunger for power and fame that had possessed Lord Voldemort. It wouldn't be obvious for several years, but Kuroko was marked that night as well; he would always carry the value of friendship with him and it would shape him in ways they could not yet imagine.

And it was true, as Dumbledore had speculated, that the defeat of Lord Voldemort had relieved a burden for the wizarding world. Kuroko had no way of knowing that he might well have been one of Harry Potter's friends in that battle, if not for the actions of a certain meddlesome headmaster. Instead, he was occupied with different things once he entered Teiko Magical Academy and came to befriend, among others, five talented young wizards that would become known as the Kiseki no Sedai. It was here, when the cherry blossoms were in bloom that his story would truly begin.

It wouldn't be long after that day that Dumbledore would see Kuroko's name and recall the machinations he'd set in place. It would happen as he looked across his desk at the Japanese Minister of Magic and considered the proposal he'd just heard quite carefully. He could see several advantages, but he also suspected that many of his staff would kick up rather a lot of fuss over the whole thing. Ah, well, he'd gotten away with worse exploits over the years. And if he was successful, it would certainly further his own agendas.

"Minister Murakami, as you know, International Magical cooperation is one of my more cherished ideals and it is so important to foster this in the young of every country. Since the British Ministry for Magic is amenable, then I believe we here at Hogwarts would be happy to host the exchange students."

The Japanese official looked delighted and offered Dumbledore a courteous bow in response. "This is such good news. We will immediately forward their school records for your review, as of course you must feel free to evaluate them yourself." Minister Murakami used the floo connection in Dumbledore's office to request the documents be sent through and within moments a harried looking courier stepped through the green flames with several thick files in hand before quickly returning to his work.

The two wizards chatted a few more minutes, both content with the prospective plans. Dumbledore again assured Minister Murakami that Hogwarts was delighted by the opportunity and that he would do all he could to ensure their time there was comfortable and productive.

After Minister Murakami had taken his leave, Dumbledore smiled as he looked through the records. He tapped one file in particular…Kuroko Tetsuya…the would-be companion to the Boy Who Lived…sent along another path by his own capable hand. He did not believe in coincidences and the fact this boy was among the retinue selected for the exchange program was intriguing to say the least. Dumbledore was extremely interested indeed to see how the boy was progressing, and the others that would accompany him would certainly bear keeping an eye on as well. It looked like Hogwarts would have an exciting year in store for everyone. Which was all to the good really, things had been far too quiet since Harry had left. It was time to shake things up a bit and he had no doubts that these students would provide some much needed entertainment.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Neither Kuroko no Basuke nor the Harry Potter universes are mine.

A/N: The "fifth" element here follows traditional Japanese Buddhist thought that along with earth, fire, water, and wind, there is "void" (alternately sky or heaven). The canon Hogwarts houses have already been matched with four of these elements: Fire (Gryffindor), Earth (Hufflepuff), Air (Ravenclaw), and Water (Slytherin), per the Harry Potter wiki. So I'm just blending the two systems :)

Welcome to chapter 2, I hope you like it :)

The Mischief Kuroko Manages

Chapter 2

As Dumbledore surveyed all those gathered for the welcoming feast, he couldn't help but notice the exchange students from Teiko Magical Academy were garnering rather a lot of attention. He could understand it; they seemed surrounded by a near-tangible aura of magical energy. They'd shown impressive manners and proved to be fluent in English as they chatted with the students brave enough to approach them. His eyes passed to each of them in turn as he wondered where they would be sorted for the year.

Akashi Seijuro was the easiest to pick out. He wasn't the tallest of the party but he was clearly their leader and his confidence was well-deserved if his file was to be believed. Top grades in all subjects, several extracurricular leadership positions, and talents in several wizarding art forms…it hardly needed to be said he was from a noble pure-blood wizarding family. The redhead was a prodigy no matter how you looked at it. And from the giggles that many of the students, male and female alike, were exhibiting, his aristocratic good looks weren't going unnoticed either.

The green haired male to his right was probably Midorima Shintaro. He was also from a wealthy pureblood family, and while similarly an excellent student, he'd shown a preference for the healing arts and potions. Dumbledore recalled he was also reputed to be an ardent student of Divination, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes – an interesting combination of the fantastic and the scholarly.

Murasakibara Atsushi was probably the tall lavender haired boy that looked like he wanted nothing more than to take a nap. While unquestionably talented, his records had acknowledged that he didn't always perform well if a teacher couldn't keep him interested. Still, the half-blood done well enough in his coursework and shown aptitude for Astronomy, Herbology, and Potions.

The almost wild energy emanating from a tall dark-skinned boy with blue hair gave Dumbledore pause. He knew that Kuroko had blue hair, but he couldn't believe the baby with almost no presence had grown into this charismatic creature. No…this must be Aomine Daiki, a muggle born that had been identified as a skilled magic user but one who had little patience for class work. When pressed, he'd performed well in practical exams for Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Next to Aomine was a vivacious blond that was smiling and waving to those that caught his laughing golden eyes. He was handsome and it was not difficult to see he would be receiving quite a bit of fanmail. This would be Kise Ryota, the model and talented Charms student- also a half-blood. He also had reasonable grades in Transfiguration and Potions, as long as it was something he'd seen someone do before.

The pink haired female could be none other than Momoi Satsuki. She'd been noted as being particularly interested in History of Magic courses as well as Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. He took in her observant eyes as she looked around the room; it would seem that despite her rather non-threatening appearance, she was not one to underestimate. She rather reminded him of Hermione Granger in a way.

But where was Kuroko? Dumbledore's keen eyes moved over the party again and it was by sheer luck he caught sight of the slender male who stood quietly among his classmates. Ah…there he was. The pureblooded wizard didn't stand out in much of anything except that Dumbledore was already aware of his history. It was interesting to consider that due to his spell, Kuroko was only seven when Harry had finally defeated Voldemort – he'd had a few years to grow up with the legacy of all that Harry had accomplished here at Hogwarts. His records were relatively nondescript, which puzzled Dumbledore somewhat as he'd thought he'd recognized significant magical potential in the baby. Had his spell sent that astray somehow? Well, he looked like he was doing well enough in any case even if that were true.

The sorting ceremony proceeded as expected, each of the four houses receiving a fairly equal distribution of new students. Dumbledore felt a bit sorry for the first years as they were clearly only functioning as the warm up for the exchange students. It seemed nearly everyone was waiting impatiently for the Japanese students' turn for sorting to arrive – they were at the end of the ceremony since they weren't truly first years.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, "Akashi Seijuro's" name was called. The redhead strode to the stool and allowed the Sorting Hat to be placed on his head in a way that suggested he was receiving a crown rather than the tattered, though magical, thing it really was. There was a long moment while the magical hat conversed with the powerful young wizard. Akashi's expression gave nothing away, it was impossible to tell which way he was leaning. Dumbledore had to force himself to keep the smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes when the result was finally announced:

"RAKUZAN."

There was a confused silence from the gathering – Hogwarts only had four houses and that was not one of them. What did the Sorting Hat mean by announcing such a placement?

But then a fifth table appeared at the back of the hall positioned to mirror the table where the faculty sat rather than alongside the other four house tables. A new set of banners were added to the ones already gracing the hall. The colors were drawn from the hair of each of the exchange students in a repeating border with a symbol for "Void" etched simply in a silver-blue in the center of the design. Akashi nodded in what appeared to be satisfaction and took a seat at the empty table with little fanfare.

After a befuddled pause there didn't seem to be anything else to do but continue with the ceremony. But the murmurs of confusion, disappointment, hostility, envy, and surprise were clearly heard. One by one, each of Akashi's Teiko classmates was called forward and swiftly sorted into the new house. Dumbledore was quietly furious – he didn't know how they'd managed to pull this off, but it was beyond outrageous to add their own house to the school! The entire point of an exchange program was to connect with students of other cultures; they might as well have stayed in Japan!

When Kuroko took his seat next to Aomine, the taller male quirked an eyebrow at him. "Well it seems your plan worked, Tetsu. But I think the headmaster intends on getting some answers from us after the feast."

Kuroko shrugged slightly before quietly responding, "We didn't do anything wrong, the precedent was already there. Their existing houses represent four elements, ours just adds the fifth. Hogwarts itself had to agree with the idea for it to come to fruition."

Momoi joined them next; sitting on Kuroko's other side. She shot a glance his way. "We've made enemies this way, Tetsu-kun."

He smiled at her. "We would have done so eventually. This simply speeds up the process of knowing who we can trust."

Kise, who'd been called just before Kuroko, propped his chin on his fist as he leaned against the table, "I still can't believe you wanted to do this in the first place, Kurokocchi. This seems an awfully strange way for us to make an impression."

Murasakibara was the last to be sorted and he sat down heavily and threw an annoyed glance in Kuroko's direction. "This is too much trouble, Kuro-chin."

"Enough, everyone. We already agreed to this plan before we left Teiko." Akashi didn't even have to raise his voice to be obeyed, they all fell silent and turned their attention back to Dumbledore, who had risen in preparation of making a welcoming speech.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. First years and guests should be aware the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds…" the speech continued in this way and those from Teiko were not alone in tuning out most of the headmaster's words.

It wasn't until Dumbledore uttered the phrase Murasakibara at least had been waiting for, "Let the feast begin!" that they resumed their conversations as they filled their plates with the newly appeared food. The kitchens had thoughtfully provided some Japanese cuisine in addition to the usual English fare for all the tables and most of the students politely sampled both.

As they tucked into their selections, a small packet appeared in the center of their table with a brief shimmer. Akashi naturally reached for it, seeing as it wasn't addressed to any of them specifically, and opened the package. He extracted a few sheets of parchment and scanned their contents quickly before returning them to their envelope.

"We've been summoned to meet with Professor Dumbledore after the feast, and Hogwarts is apparently in the middle of arranging a dormitory for us. I imagine that we should have the details by our meeting." He announced this nonchalantly, not in the least concerned that they'd been in the school for less than an hour and were already causing a stir.

They all nodded their acknowledgement but didn't spend further time on it. As Kuroko had pointed out, the suggestion had been made, persuasively and aggressively it was true, by Akashi, but Hogwarts itself was the one that had agreed to provide a separate house for them through the Sorting Hat.

At the conclusion of the feast, it wasn't difficult to notice that many students avoided looking at them and there seemed a concerted effort to treat the Japanese students as if they weren't there.

Aomine laughed a little as he saw what was happening. "Is this how you usually feel, Tetsu?"

Kuroko shrugged unconcernedly. "Not really, Aomine-kun. This is deliberate. I'm generally just accidentally overlooked."

They made their way to Dumbledore's office, following Akashi who had memorized the map of Hogwarts before they'd arrived. They didn't have to wonder at the password, it had been provided in their summons and Akashi murmured "Pocky" to the guardian and the door promptly opened.

Once they were all assembled in the rather amazing office and glancing around at the assortment of interesting artifacts and portraits, they heard Dumbledore's voice call to them from his desk to be seated and they complied. He looked at each of them before he spoke but it was clear he was unhappy.

"This is highly irregular. I know Hogwarts must have agreed to your suggestion, but why did you do such a thing? Your Minister for Magic was quite certain all of you had volunteered for this program yet these actions seem to indicate you don't wish to mingle with the students here."

Akashi's calm reply couldn't be faulted. "Headmaster, please don't misunderstand. We mean no disrespect to you or this institution. We are sincerely grateful for the opportunity to study here as the curriculum and approach to the study of magic is different from what we have encountered at Teiko. When Shintaro forecasted our assigned houses, we were initially content to be separated. It wasn't until we realized we would either not all be allowed to play Quidditch, or we might displace Hogwarts students in tryouts that we looked for alternatives. Similarly, we found we couldn't clearly identify with just one of the houses as our personalities tended to overlap. I simply explained this to the hat during my sorting. It is our hope that Rakuzan will become a neutral meeting place for students of all houses at Hogwarts so that we might truly experience the benefit of cooperation and exchange."

The angelic look on his face beamed absolute sincerity, but every single one of them knew Akashi wasn't telling Dumbledore the whole story.

The headmaster wasn't known for being stupid however and he still sought a way to thwart this plan. "We don't have a Head of House for this new dorm, nor are the course schedules designed to accommodate a fifth house. Let alone the Quidditch schedule!"

Midorima took over for this one. "I am sure we can work out an arrangement to practice – there are seven days in a week after all. Classes shouldn't be a problem either. You were already prepared to accommodate the seven of us within the other houses, so we won't really make a difference there. At dinner Akashi told us that the Sorting Hat was investigating possibilities among the faculty. Again, since there are only seven of us, it is our hope we wouldn't put too great a strain on our advisor."

At that moment a knock on the door was followed by the entry of a tall, severe looking woman of indeterminate age with long dark hair. She'd been seated with the faculty during the feast and Dumbledore greeted her with "Professor Vector, how may I help you?"

She raised an eyebrow somewhat archly and held aloft a piece of parchment in apparent explanation. "I was asked if I would be willing to serve as Head of House for the Rakuzan students. I have no objection since it is only for a year, but I'm not sure where this house is located."

Dumbledore and Professor Vector both looked at the new students in question, but it was the Sorting Hat, only just returned to its place on a shelf, that answered the question. "Where else would we put them? Rakuzan is to be housed in the North Tower – only Divination was there so it left plenty of room to expand."

Midorima smiled slightly at this news. He would be feeling very lucky indeed to be staying near the Divination classroom and under the auspices of the Arithmancy professor – both of these subjects were among his particular strengths after all.

Dumbledore gritted his teeth for a moment but realized he was, temporarily at least, outmaneuvered. He extended a smile that bore far greater resemblance to a grimace than an expression of joy but nobody commented on it. "Very well, it seems all is in order for now. I assume that Hogwarts will have similarly arranged a guardian for the door – do be sure to pass along the entry information to Professor Vector once it is settled. You'll receive your schedules in the morning. Welcome to Hogwarts, all of you. Let's all hope for a good year."

Each of the Teiko students nodded and offered a small bow to both Professor Dumbledore and their new Head of House, Professor Vector before making their way to their newly fashioned dorm. The portrait that would allow them access was of a traditional English flower garden and a smiling witch who coyly seemed to be offering them a fresh bloom. Momoi muttered something about flirting but it went mostly unheard by her companions.

Akashi studied the picture intently, his brain clearly working at the problem. He nodded decisively after a moment and murmured an encryption spell before turning to the rest of them. "This picture is a spelled one; it's different from most of the others in the castle. It's designed to trap you into forgetting where you wanted to go or why you're here if you get too caught up in the beauty of the scene. Since the English garden aesthetic is fairly different from what we're used to, we shouldn't be too bothered by this precaution. The password is 'Belladonna' in reference to that."

Once they'd entered the dormitory, it was clear that Hogwarts had tried very hard to make them feel welcome, but the result was rather chaotic and even Murasakibara laughed at the result. A fireplace graced one wall of the common room, and the rest of the décor was a curious blend of English and old-fashioned Japanese styling– resulting in heavy oaken armoires painted with scenes from Japanese literature next to shoji screens painted with English mythical images. A small rock garden and fountain were in one corner and the floor was covered with tatami mats that still had heavy woolen area rugs on top of them. It was nearly an assault on their senses to be confronted with the intense red, gold, and black colors that would be very stylish to many a Japanese inn, but as modern young magic users, they were more accustomed to a streamlined decorating approach. They agreed they would have to redecorate after thanking the school for its efforts on their behalf.

They gradually noticed they each had their own rooms with their names printed discretely above their respective doors to indicate where they were staying. They were surprised by this but grateful for the privacy nonetheless. Momoi's door had an extra magical barrier that they could all sense and the males understood immediately it would keep them out – not that it was really necessary. If anything, Kuroko was the one that needed it as defense from Momoi, but Hogwarts was apparently old-fashioned about some things. They were relieved that their rooms were relatively blank – furnished simply with large beds, a desk and bookshelf, and a small closet. There was another door off the common room that proved to contain two bathrooms – one small one that was clearly for Momoi and the other much larger space for the boys.

After they unpacked and then returned to the common room for a last conference, the others all looked at Kuroko in silent question. Kuroko had been the one to broach their volunteering for the study abroad program and they still weren't entirely sure why he'd wanted to do this, but they'd eventually agreed to participate in it with him. He nodded. "Thank you everyone for agreeing to come with me this year. I don't know exactly what's in store for us, but at the very least we can still play Quidditch together. Let's do our best."

And there wasn't much to say in response to that was there? So they soon broke up from the gathering, tired from the travels and excitement of the day and headed off to bed in their assigned rooms. They were all curious as to how they would do here and it wouldn't be unfair to speculate that they were occupying the thoughts and conversations of students and staff across the school – including a certain Headmaster whose eyes were missing their trademark twinkle.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Neither the Kuroko no Basuke nor the Harry Potter universes are mine.

Welcome to chapter 3, I hope you like it :-)

The Mischief Kuroko Manages

Chapter 3

After they'd each bid the others a goodnight and returned to their rooms, Kuroko had forgone sitting at his desk to curl himself into the small window seat instead. Their home for the year had nice views from the tower windows but he was gazing sightlessly out at the evening vista while his mind turned over various thoughts and memories.

Kuroko had not directly addressed why he wanted to come to Hogwarts to the others – he'd couched it in terms of the glowing academic and networking opportunities to Midorima and Akashi, the potential to compete against international Quidditch teams to Kise and Aomine, and emphasized the ability to learn about new styles of training and strategy to Momoi when she wasn't swayed by the promising class brochure. Murasakibara had been resistant on the grounds he had heard that British cuisine was awful but Kuroko had reassured him that the Hogwarts kitchens were not known to produce the horrible fare made legend in popular media. In the end, Murasakibara had come along because the others had agreed and it was easier than being left to his own devices.

As he sat there, Kuroko could feel the familiar uneasy shifting inside of him that had been there for as long as he could remember. His parents, dutiful as they were, had taken him to both Muggle and Magical doctors to try and diagnose the malady but nobody had been able to determine anything in particular was out of place. He'd been labelled as having "a fragile, nervous disposition" and various treatments and techniques for anxiety had been tried – with no success. It wasn't until he'd entered Teiko and enrolled in beginner's Divination that he first got a glimmer of a clue.

His teacher had frowned at him in surprise – not a particularly unusual occurrence as most of the teachers seemed astonished to notice him – but this was when he'd done a simple aura reading on Kuroko for demonstration purposes. He'd fussed over his technique for several minutes before finally offering, "Your aura doesn't fit you, Kuroko-kun. It's true that it is minimal; making you hard to notice, but there's something not right with it beyond that. It's as if you're…misaligned somehow." Kuroko couldn't forget those words, and they'd sent him chasing down every book, rumor, and report he could get his hands on regarding aura interference.

It had been a small footnote in some obscure manuscript that probably had only been read by three other people on the planet that had finally given Kuroko an inkling of an idea. The author had posited, completely without confirmation of course, that while a person's aura could provide protection from harm, it still absorbed every experience of a lifetime no matter if it was good or bad. The scholar had theorized that this was why "Obliviate" and similar memory spells could be so dangerous – it wasn't a matter of the brain at all but rather one's magical essence trying to reconcile what it knew to be true with the discrepancies enacted by the modification spells.

What Kuroko had taken from this was the idea that at some point, his aura had absorbed something his brain couldn't remember and it had left enough of an impact to be felt on a regular, near daily basis. He'd tried to ask his parents, probing for stories of his childhood where he might have sustained a significant magical injury of some kind but their looks of honest confusion had derailed that theory in short order.

Kuroko hadn't initially intended to sign up for the exchange program, he had held no particular interest in Hogwarts apart from its significance regarding the defeat of Lord Voldemort. But there had been something he couldn't quite overlook when he'd picked up the brochure distributed in one of his classes. He had quite literally felt his aura pulse as he'd held the pamphlet and it had been only his long-standing control that let him hide his reaction. It made no sense to him, he had no connection to the school, and he'd never even left Japan.

It was enough, though. He'd signed up immediately and then begun recruiting his friends to go with him. They'd all passed the preliminary tests required for the program, of course they had, and after formal review of their files they'd been accepted. Kuroko had barely been able to squash the flash of triumph that raced through him and he couldn't account for why it mattered in the first place.

When he heard a soft knock, he wasn't surprised for Akashi to enter after he'd called out permission. The redhead was still dressed in his uniform, as was Kuroko, and he looked as fresh as he had when they'd arrived. It had caused Kuroko no end of envy when he'd realized Akashi managed this naturally, he didn't even have to rely on charms to achieve this effect.

Akashi came over and leaned against the window by his feet so that he could face Kuroko. He lifted a single eyebrow before he spoke, his voice soft and melodic. "Are you finally going to tell me the real reason we're all here, then? I haven't said anything to the others of course, but I know you have a personal reason for wanting to come here."

Kuroko smiled and shook his head, not terribly surprised that Akashi had figured out there was more to this trip than academics and Quidditch for Kuroko. "It's not substantial enough to share yet, Akashi-kun. But if I can get more information either way, I will share it."

The heterochromatic eyes took on a gleam of interested curiosity. "I understand wanting more information first, but surely your efforts would be more efficient if you had our assistance in your search. I can only assume that's why you wanted us to come with you anyway."

A small half shrug was Kuroko's only response at first, but Akashi knew him well enough to wait, and sure enough a few moments later Kuroko continued speaking. "It's one part of it, yes. But I would have missed all of you and I _did_ think it would be interesting to test ourselves here."

Akashi seemed to think about this answer briefly but he shot a look that indicated he didn't quite believe the other's words at Kuroko. "I think you would have done well enough without us. But by all means, let's see where this quest of yours leads us, hmm? Don't stay up much longer; we will have to put on a good show tomorrow to make up for our rather dramatic sorting." He gave a small nod and left without waiting for a reply, leaving Kuroko to his thoughts.

It wasn't long before Kuroko decided Akashi's advice had merit and he went to sleep, but his dreams were filled by his conversation with the sorting hat. The enchanted cloth had been genuinely stumped by him and it was only after his quiet request for Rakuzan that it seemed to want to say something else, but ultimately agreed and sorted him according to his wish.

When he woke the following morning, Kuroko couldn't shake the feeling that the encounter was more significant than he knew. But he couldn't pursue that line of inquiry just yet. Instead he went about his morning routine and when he was ready, he met the others in the common room so they could all proceed down to breakfast together.

When the seven of them entered, there was a pause in conversation as the students that had already assembled took notice. They went to their table without trying to engage with anyone and arranged themselves comfortably as the food was provided. Akashi, Midorima, Kise and Murasakibara were seated on one bench, with Kuroko, Aomine, and Momoi on the opposite side. There were numerous hushed whispers and some less than subtle pointing, but nobody ventured over to them. Although Kuroko was used to being overlooked, he did feel badly that his friends were being subjected to this ostracism. And, he supposed, it wasn't entirely unwarranted given the impression they'd made last night.

So he was quite surprised when a student wandered over a moment later, stopping next to Momoi. The girl had bright hazel eyes and a small but warm smile. She nodded and in very slow, but perfectly comprehensible Japanese, welcomed them. "My name is Danielle, please call me Dani. I'm a fourth year Ravenclaw and I am interested in learning about Japanese magical courses if you would be willing to share your experiences. Welcome to Hogwarts, I hope you find the year to be productive."

Akashi, naturally, took the lead for their group and returned her greeting, and after complementing her on her Japanese, he assured her they were all fluent in English if she wished to switch to it. She smiled as he then started to introduce them all and quietly interrupted, "Yes, I know who you are. We all do, after that display last night." She stared at Momoi in particular for a moment, looking like she was trying to make up her mind about something before she finally burst out, "I love your hair. It's so pretty. All of you were already garnering so much attention because we didn't know what to expect and then when the sorting happened it just felt like something amazing was happening."

Momoi giggled lightly. "We did make it a memorable sorting, I'm sure. And our coloring probably didn't hurt in that regard. Won't you sit?" She invited with a wave at the space next to her.

Dani nodded shyly and took a seat, with a plate popping up on the table in front of her as she did. Soon Momoi had drawn the girl into a flow of cheerful conversation as she carefully probed for information and tried to get a sense of this person that had willingly approached them. The other Japanese students were well aware of Momoi's analytical powers in addition to her genuinely friendly personality so they left her to it.

Aomine chuckled quietly before shooting a look at the person who'd more or less set this all in motion. "Satsuki's making a friend at least. I suppose we'll have to do the same, eh, Tetsu?"

Kuroko nodded. "It is part of the purpose of this exchange, Aomine-kun. This is a good step. We'll see how it goes from here."

Akashi flicked a glance their way before commenting softly, "It would certainly be prudent to form at least one ally in each house. If we can form connections with students in different years as well, that's all to the better anyway." He said this calmly and although it sounded calculating, Akashi didn't necessarily see it that way. His purpose was simply to achieve as strong a position as he could in this new territory and he was aware that people from different years would have more insights for him to drawn from. That didn't mean he intended anyone any harm and if someone sincerely engaged his interest, he wouldn't keep them at a distance.

Soon Professor Vector arrived, bearing several sheets of parchment which she distributed in quick order and left after instructing them to go see her if they had any trouble. She'd brought their schedules and they looked to see that most of them didn't have a class until second period. As today was a Monday, Midorima, Kuroko, and Momoi had Divination first period, after which they separated. Midorima would go to Ancient Runes with Akashi. Momoi and Aomine would go to Muggle Studies while Murasakibara, Kise, and Kuroko went to Care of Magical Creatures. They would all have Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts together in the afternoon.

They saw they would have Tuesdays free until afternoon Potions and Astronomy at midnight. Wednesdays began with History of Magic and then they had free time until afternoon Herbology. On Thursdays, Midorima had Arithmancy in the morning, but the rest of them were free until Transfiguration at second period, which would again follow with Portions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Friday was Potions, Charms, and then they split between their choices of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, and Care of Magical Creatures.

Kise rolled his eyes at seeing the timetable. "Why don't they spread this out more evenly? Today is so packed but Tuesdays and Wednesdays are fairly light. Except that we end with a midnight class on Tuesday only to have the most boring class in the world first thing Wednesday!"

Dani glanced over at Momoi's schedule to see what Kise had been referring to. "It's like that for everyone, just on different days. It's just the way it has always been." She heard her name being called, looked over and saw a classmate waving her back. She excused herself to return to her own table, "I look forward to seeing you again, thank you for letting me have breakfast with you."

It was made all the more noticeable how isolated they were after Dani left. The other houses had students from multiple years and had an agreeable structure among themselves – Rakuzan held only the seven of them. They'd been something of a special group at Teiko of course, but it was still within a more familiar context.

Aomine gave an unconcerned yawn and small stretch as he took in the time. "I'm gonna go grab a nap somewhere before class. Do your best everyone, see you later." And before Momoi even had time to scold him he'd loped off somewhere.

Momoi fumed in response. "Dai-chan will miss our first class at this rate. I swear I am going to put a tracking spell on him, see if I don't!"

Midorima was standing to leave and he heard her comment, "Leave him be. If he's so willing to eschew even basic precautions then fate will duly see him fail." He paused for a moment as if considering something before shrugging, "Momoi, Kuroko, I will go on ahead to Divination as I wish to speak to the professor before class starts. I'll see the rest of you later." He didn't wait for confirmation, instead giving truth to his words as he turned and strode out with the air of someone prepared to be disappointed but hoping to be proven wrong.

Murasakibara, who'd been largely silent throughout the meal so far watched their green haired comrade leave and offered a lazy observation, "Mido-chin is nervous. He hasn't decided if he should carry more than one day's worth of Oha Asa lucky items with him to account for the time difference or not."

Kise shook his head. "I understand it is important to him but I've never gotten why he puts so much faith in it. Well, I won't tease him about it just yet since it is the first day, but you'd never think someone so pragmatic about everything else would be so superstitious." He didn't mean this unkindly, it truly puzzled him, but it still earned him a reproachful look from Kuroko.

"Kise-kun it is _because_ he's pragmatic that he follows Oha Asa. He says it himself; he doesn't leave things to chance. But we know he doesn't rely on those items instead of work – it is part of his plan to be successful." Kuroko's voice was quiet but as always, he managed to catch Kise's attention.

Akashi had been listening as well and contributed his own observations. "Oha Aha is a harmless enough indulgence; it's nothing to worry about. We're not here to tease each other anyway. Remember that we are still representing Teiko and work hard this morning. We'll all see each other for Transfiguration." He paused and then looked reassuringly at Momoi as he revisited her earlier concern, "And don't worry, he won't miss class. If I have to go track him down myself to make sure of it, I will."

They soon disbursed to go their respective ways. As he left, Kuroko turned back for a last look around and noticed that an hourglass had been added alongside the other four – presumably to represent Rakuzan's chance at the House Cup. It was filled with an assortment of rainbow colored stones; apparently Hogwarts was still trying its best to make them feel welcome. He held a hand to the stone wall and sent a thought of thanks to the building – whether it was sentient or not didn't really matter, Kuroko was not one to overlook things like this.

His eyes caught Momoi's as she looked at him questioningly, but he just shook his head and murmured they should probably go ensure Midorima hadn't run off the Divination teacher. She laughed her agreement and they went onward, silently but with the familiar companionship that had been won long ago between them. Kuroko was looking forward to classes, it was only the first day, but he just knew that somewhere in this castle was another clue to the question he didn't even know to ask yet.


	4. Chapter 4

To TheOtaku: thanks for reading! Yes, Dumbledore dies in canon, but I've kept him alive in this story :-)

I do apologize for the long delay with this chapter, I didn't mean for it to be quite such a long time. I hope you like it!

The Mischief Kuroko Manages

Chapter 4

* * *

Although Midorima had left ahead of them, Momoi and Kuroko had no trouble getting seats next to him. The Hogwarts students had spaced themselves around the room to leave a clear and noticeable gap between themselves and the tall green haired male. Midorima took no apparent notice of their silent censure, he was already busily perusing some unfamiliar textbook, likely obtained from the teacher.

He flicked a glance up at the pair of them in acknowledgment of their arrival but immediately returned his attention to the tome in front of him. Kuroko allowed a brief smile to cross his face before he took his seat. Midorima was very interested in divination, it was one of the draws for him to attend Hogwarts this year as he could gain insight into alternate styles from what he would find in Japan.

The room had a faintly smoky aura, as if centuries of burning candles and the steam from cups of gently steeping tea had permeated the very stones of the walls and floor. The décor was somewhere between a tarot shop and tea parlor – with arcane instruments scattered about haphazardly.

Kuroko looked around with interest. He knew that the longtime instructor, Professor Trelawney, had taken an extended leave of absence and the current staff member in charge had been hired only two years ago. Midorima had told them that the man who'd been selected to replace her, Professor Emrys Byrne, had a highly respected reputation among the scholars and practitioners of divination. They hadn't seen him the evening before – there had been too much to take in with the sorting and subsequent uproar over a new house forming.

Momoi was also glancing around the room and she saw their professor first – he entered with little fanfare and seemed on the whole to be a perfectly ordinary individual, until she caught sight of the other side his face. Professor Byrne had an incredibly elaborate tattoo that spanned from his forehead to his chin on one side, it showed a Celtic tree of life fashioned from other symbols – including the Awen and many stylized knots. Momoi was fascinated by it, and her hope that he would be a qualified instructor had risen even further at this evidence of dedication to his craft

Midorima looking up as if sensing her interest, said only "He's one of the leaders of the Celtic magical revival movement. Hogwarts is very lucky to have him on staff."

Professor Byrne walked to the lectern at the front of the room, setting his case on the small glass table beside him. It was a little jarring to see he wore a suit that would have done justice to a power luncheon among Muggles – it seemed he would at the very least go for robes. He was not an overly large man, probably 5'8'' or so and very slightly framed. If his expression were less cheerful it might well be described as gaunt. He was saved from that by a slightly rakish air; it seemed rather as though he had a secret he was eager to share with them.

An expectant silence had taken over, and he smiled in acknowledgment of it.

"Welcome to Divination, everyone." His voice was melodic and hinted at his Welsh origins. To Kuroko, Momoi, and Midorima, the lilting accent took an additional moment to adjust to, but soon the words proved comprehensible enough.

"You may have heard that Divination takes special talents – that not everyone has the gift. I'm afraid this is true, to a point. We all have different areas of magical study that call to us, some of you may not find this branch to your liking. But that does not mean you cannot learn something from taking Divination. All those who practice magical arts must have some degree of intuition, and Divination is the manipulation of that trait in various mediums. Even if we can't all be Seers, we can all looks for patterns in palmistry or tea leaves, we can all try meditation and hope for insights. If nothing else, you'll learn how to evaluate those unscrupulous witches and wizards that hope to fleece you of your hard-earned Galleons by claiming an all-seeing eye." He smiled briefly at the startled chuckles several students emitted.

"This term is, for most of you, the first time you've studied Divination, even if you're familiar with the basic premise. I cannot ask you to forget everything you've ever heard about the subject, but I do request that you keep an open mind. For now, I'd like to cover a brief introduction. If you have questions at any point, please don't hesitate to speak up."

What followed put to rest any doubt that this man was a thoughtful, dedicated practitioner of Divination. Professor Byrne spoke not as a theorist, although his command of it was evident. Instead, even though this introductory meeting touched the barest surface of what they would cover, it seemed to invite all of them into a world they knew only by reputation with a warmth that indicated adventure as much as intellectual rigor.

Kuroko observed that Professor Byrne did not use notes, he spoke from memory. It made Kuroko wonder how much the man must know to be able to so fluidly move through his subject without referencing anything. He was further impressed when their instructor randomized their initial tea leaves reading – just for fun – since they had not officially studied Tessomancy yet. The elder wizard smiled encouraging and with a negligent wave, indicated the shelf that contained many styles of self-heating teapots, boxes with tea leaves from around the world, and a mismatched array of cups and saucers. Spoons and a small collection of additives like milk, honey, sugar, and lemon were waiting on a sideboard below.

Professor Byrne explained his reasoning for rearranging them thusly – one of the key elements of how a charlatan is able to take advantage is that they can read patterns of their clients. The students had sat with those they knew the best in most cases so to truly get into the spirit of the thing, they should partner with those less familiar to them.

There was just one flaw. There was an odd number of students in the class. Seeing this, Professor Byrne smiled genially and his keen eyes went straight to Kuroko – "Why don't you work with me, Mr. Kuroko?"

Being addressed that way was startling at first, but Kuroko shrugged to himself – they weren't in Japan after all. He'd noticed the teachers addressed the students relatively formally, something he had not expected, but it was still a strange thing to hear himself referred to as "mister' rather than the more familiar honorific system at home.

Kuroko nodded his agreement, getting up to sit at the small table Professor Byrne indicated after he got a teacup, saucer, and a tin of tea leaves with a brand name he recognized from Japan. Midorima shot a look his way that was not quite envious, but clearly communicated Kuroko should fully appreciate the honor he was receiving. Kuroko hid his smile, Midorima-kun was entertaining even when he did not mean to be.

Professor Byrne nodded at him as he got settled. The teapot was already working on the water and soon enough wispy tendrils of steam were escaping it. Once Professor Byrne fixed his own cup, Kuroko attended to his. They waited for the leaves to steep and Kuroko inhaled the gentle fragrance with a nostalgic appreciation. He had certainly wanted to come on this exchange trip, but that did not mean there weren't certain things he missed.

Once their respective cups were ready and they began taking small sips, Professor Byrne offered him a small smile.

"You wanted to talk to me, yes? If it isn't something you can bring up here, you are always welcome to come during office hours."

Kuroko paused in the middle of setting his cup down, and then continued the action carefully. "Thank you, Professor Byrne. I did want to talk to you, but it would be better suited in private." He looked curiously at the older wizard, how had he known?

Professor Byrne chuckled softly. "Don't look so surprised. I'm not a Legilimens, but Divination is useful enough on its own." His eyes seemed to brighten for a moment. "Your friend, Mr. Midorima, is quite skilled himself, if he chooses to he will become an excellent practitioner. In a few years, he would probably have the same premonitions about you that I have had. Mr. Kuroko, please come see me soon. Whatever your reason for coming here to Hogwarts, you should not be afraid to ask for help."

Kuroko started to speak but the older man shook his head slightly. "Tell me another time. For now, let's have a look at our cups, shall we?" And he somewhat mischievously exchanged them with a quiet incantation. Professor Byrne picked up Kuroko's cup with an anticipation Kuroko didn't quite understand, but dutifully reached for the other one as well.

The cup Professor Byrne had picked was an antique specimen – the green, gold, and white colors were somewhat softened from age and a muted dignity seemed to radiate from the tapered vessel. It was heavier than Kuroko expected but he held it steadily and looked at the remnants at the bottom. Kuroko and his schoolmates had a slight advantage over their British counterparts; their curriculum had already begun covering this form of magic. The trouble came from making his brain translate the imagery and symbols he knew from Japan to what would better suit this style.

He frowned, he was seeing the number four, but he knew it was not unlucky in British wizardry. He thought he saw a falcon as well, which he knew from _Unfogging the Future_ meant a deadly enemy, but to him represented good luck from its associations in the _Kojiki_. He looked up and saw Professor Byrne peering interestedly in his cup. Sensing his student's glance, Professor Byrne arched an eyebrow inquiringly.

"I see mixed signs." It was all he could manage to get out in explanation, Kuroko wasn't sure how to say what was bothering him.

The professor lifted his shoulders and let them fall in a deliberate, exaggerated shrug. "You would not be the first to make such an observation, Mr. Kuroko." He smiled, fleetingly. "Shall I tell you what I see?"

Kuroko nodded, it seemed impolite to do otherwise.

Professor Byrne swirled the cup gently before turning it to show Kuroko. "All wisdom found in tea leaves is primarily a matter of interpretation. I see signs this way that speak to grave misfortune, but when I turn it, I see great blessings. Interestingly, your cup suggests to me a path interrupted, reset along another road to bear different, but still worthwhile fruit."

He set the cup down and smiled. "May I tell you a secret, Mr. Kuroko? One that I hope you will not be so mean-spirited as to share with your classmates?"

Startled, Kuroko could only blink and then nodded tentatively.

Professor Byrne leaned closer to him and whispered, "I don't really put much stock in Tesslomancy, Mr. Kuroko. I could see as you read my cup your difficulty in interpreting signs. That's not due to a lack of talent, but simply an issue of context. We wizards, for all our self-aggrandized wisdom, rarely seem to remember the cultural specificity of our talents. Don't forget this. It is essential you remember your background for your goals to be achieved." He winked, and the strange sight was made more so when Kuroko saw that even his eyelid bore a tattoo.

The moment broken, Professor Byrne stood and offered a cheerful wave to the class. "For homework, I'd like a sheet of parchment on your impressions of what happened today. No need to worry about being right or wrong. Just be sure to cover what you saw and what you think it means for your aptitude with Divination. I'll see you all next time."

The class dismissed in good spirits, with the students wildly impressed by their teacher. Midorima appeared by Kuroko's side with an immediacy that would have suggested Apparition in other circumstances.

"Well?" Abrupt, but Kuroko knew exactly what he was being asked.

"Professor Byrne is an intriguing man. I think we will learn a lot from him this term."

Midorima nodded sharply, pleased that Kuroko was observant enough to have picked up on that.

Momoi was quiet. She was wondering at the chances that out of all the students present, Professor Byrne would select Tetsu-kun. Their teacher was impressive, to be certain, but she felt uneasy about it now.

The rest of the day flew by as the various classes met. In each instance, the exchange students found themselves greeted suspiciously or with outright hostility – a rare, shy smile might be there, but it was lost among the cold shoulders that seemed to be found at nearly every turn.

When they reassembled at dinner, only Akashi looked unperturbed by the day's ordeals. Not that this was particularly surprising to any of them – Akashi did not let such things bother him. He very calmly ate his dinner, asking them in turn how they were adjusting to the school. Only the fact Momoi had been pushed and fallen provoked so much as an elevated eyebrow. To that, he offered a chilling smile and quietly, even politely, asked if Momoi had caught the names of those who had been so rude. His soft, "how unfortunate" when she replied that she had not, sent a shock of trepidation through all of them.

Unexpectedly, Murasakibara spoke up with some positive news. "Have you tried the chocolate frogs? A girl from our Care of Magical Creatures class gave me one as we left."

Momoi's head nearly swiveled. "Who was it Mukkun?"

Murasakibara shrugged and turned to look at Kuroko and Kise. "Did you catch her name, Kuro-chin? Kise-chin?"

Kise shook his head. "I didn't see this. I assumed you'd found it somewhere else."

Kuroko proved to be more helpful. "Her name is Yasmin Iqbal. She's a third-year Hufflepuff."

Murasakibara nodded. "I knew it was something like that. Anyway, here," he rummaged in his pocket and withdrew the collectible card he'd stashed there before handing it to Midorima.

"Eh? Why are you giving this to me Murasakibara?" Midorima sounded disgruntled when he saw it featured a wizard who was infamously remembered due to his discovery of a unique, deadly poison that targeted left-handed wizards. He'd been deranged, and assumed any left-handed wizard was actually brainwashed by Muggles.

Murasakibara actually looked hurt. "They know about him here. You're left handed. I thought you should know."

Midorima's frown was so instant and ferocious it looked like he might attack Murasakibara but Kise laughed and tried to smooth things over.

"Now, now, Midorimacchi, he was just trying to help." Kise couldn't quite stop the smile that was spread wide across his face – it wasn't too often that Midorima let his temper show, yet it was always amusing.

It might have continued to escalate if Akashi hadn't looked up and murmured, "I've already reminded all of you about this once. Enough. We're drawing attention."

At those words, it no longer mattered that they would have usually continued this minor squabble. They had all agreed ahead of time to present a united front as much as possible. That they had earned Akashi's censure two nights in a row was not a good sign. They would have to do better.

Akashi retrained his eyes on Midorima briefly. "It wouldn't hurt to know the counter measure for that poison. If it's not already in your repertoire, Shintaro, I suggest finding it. That girl may have meant nothing by her gesture, but perhaps it was a warning. Either way, let's not be careless."

Midorima's expression was somewhere between incredulity and irritation. "Akashi, you can't be serious."

"Have you ever known me to joke, Shintaro?" It was asked out of sincere curiosity, giving further credence to the implication Akashi was not likely to be teasing the other male.

None of them could remember such a thing. But even so, Midorima issued an annoyed sigh before he muttered that he would look into it. None of them had doubted he would, in the end.

Their meal concluded without further incident. It seemed even the peculiarity of their circumstances could not hold the complete attention of the Hogwarts student body forever. While they all knew there were students staring at them, whispering, and somehow inventing incredible rumors about them – the act of merely eating one's dinner could not engender an indefinite amount of chatter. And so the tension decreased as the Japanese students did nothing noteworthy, even though none of them were so naïve as to suspect they were in the clear just yet.

After dinner, they all headed back to their dormitory. But Kuroko paused before he would turn directly after the others. Noticing it, Kise called back to him, "What's wrong, Kurokocchi?"

The others stopped at the question and Kuroko gave a mild, silent curse that Kise was so loud sometimes. He shook his head, denying anything was the matter. "I'm going to see Professor Byrne. I'll catch up later."

Midorima frowned, "Why are you bothering him so late in the day, Kuroko? Our homework assignment is easy enough to understand. Don't get ahead of yourself just because you partnered with him today."

An indignant, "Tetsu-kun is not going to bother him, Midorin. I am sure he has a perfectly good reason for wanting to go see the professor," came from Momoi.

Murasakibara leaned against the wall, "So noisy. Why are you making such a fuss?"

Aomine was looking bored and only yawned widely to indicate he could not care less about this little argument.

And finally, because Akashi would always have the last say, a quiet but firm comment was given. "I am sure Tetsuya is not so discourteous as to needlessly bother a professor, Shintaro. Let him go on his errand." He paused and his eyes zeroed in on Kuroko's. "You will be careful, of course." It was an order, nothing else could be interpreted from it.

Kuroko nodded. "Of course, Akashi-kun. I will return to the dorm straight afterwards."

Satisfied with that, Akashi turned to continue on his way – the implication that the others would fall in line behind him was clear. And born out in the inevitable shuffling onward toward their dorm.

Once his friends had disappeared from his view, Kuroko took his own path and headed toward Professor Byrne's office. Kuroko couldn't have explained why, given the man's vague invitation to visit during office hours that suddenly he felt compelled to go right this moment, but he did. And Kuroko trusted his intuition, more than most wizards probably did. His steps were quiet, nearly inaudible in the great, cavernous hallways. It took only a few moment to reach Professor Byrne's office, the door was open and Kuroko could see the man seated at his desk. Professor Byrne looked up and smiled when Kuroko started to raise his hand to tap on the doorframe.

"Come in, then. I expect we have some things to discuss, don't we?" And he was standing, waving Kuroko inside, and brewing a fresh pot of tea before Kuroko had a chance to answer one way or another.

The elder wizard smiled. "Don't worry, this isn't another exercise of reading tea leaves. This is just us having a little chat."

Kuroko nodded, a little uncertain even though Professor Byrne was far from surprised to see him there. But he didn't speak yet as his host bustled about, getting things ready. Soon he sat a cup of steaming tea next to Kuroko and took a seat in an armchair opposite the younger wizard with an encouraging nod.

Looking right at Kuroko, he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you can tell me why your aura seems so mismatched to you, Mr. Kuroko?"

Astonished, Kuroko jerked his head upright and Professor Byrne grimaced a little. "Ah, too bad. You don't know the reason, then. But you knew it was a problem. Interesting. Very well, start at the beginning and tell me what you know."

Kuroko could only blink for a moment. He'd been unprepared for Professor Byrne to get to the matter so quickly or directly, but there was some relief as well – perhaps this man would have something that could help him find more answers. He took a bracing sip of tea, unexpectedly anxious and afraid of being disappointed. But as he sipped, Kuroko felt himself relax and realize that Professor Byrne was most likely one of his best chances to find answers.

And so Kuroko revealed the problem. He explained the actions his parents had taken in sending him to both muggle and wizarding specialists, and briefly sketched the research he had been doing. He didn't quite specify that he had come to Hogwarts just on the chance he might stumble across something, but it was evident in the very slight thread of strain in Kuroko's voice.

As his student spoke, Professor Byrne listened attentively. He only interrupted on a few occasions – to ask for clarifications that stemmed from linguistic nuance mainly – but mostly allowed Kuroko to speak as he willed. This was an unusual outpouring for Kuroko, and perhaps if Professor Byrne had stopped him anymore he might have quit altogether, but he managed to get his concerns out in the end.

Once Kuroko was done, he felt nearly lightheaded. He had not spoken so much at once in a long time, and there was a mild sense of shock associated with it.

Professor Byrne didn't speak immediately. When he did, it was not what Kuroko expected. "I am afraid I don't know the cause of your affliction, Mr. Kuroko. But I can assure you, there are answers here, if you are brave enough to seek them out. For now, though, if you would be so kind…"

Kuroko tilted his head in confusion, be so kind as to what? He didn't get the chance to ask as Professor Byrne took out his wand and murmured, somewhat regretfully, "Obliviate."

The elder wizard worked carefully. He was quite skilled with memory modification and he painstakingly adjusted Kuroko's recollection of events so that Kuroko would remember only that two of them had chatted about Kuroko's concerns for the year as an exchange student.

When he was done, he sent a reassured Kuroko on his way – who was suddenly feeling much more optimistic about the year ahead – for quite the wrong reason.

As the door closed behind him, Professor Byrne's fireplace lit up with a green flame and Albus Dumbledore stepped through.

"Well, Emrys?" Dumbledore did not have his usual good cheer about him with this question.

"He doesn't know, Albus. He suspects something is wrong with his aura but he does not attribute it to you, nor does he really know what to look for. Mr. Kuroko has done some rather thoughtful research on the subject, but he is not going to discover your secret." Professor Byrne spoke stoically; he didn't like what he'd done that night.

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Good, good. Thank you for agreeing to keep an eye on him for me, Emrys. I'll leave you to your thoughts, be sure to keep me informed of any further developments."

Professor Byrne nodded, it was all the reply he could manage. Once Dumbledore had gone again, the Divination professor strode over to collect Kuroko's teacup. His mind flashed back to that morning, when he'd told Kuroko he didn't believe in reading tea leaves. It wasn't entirely true. He looked at the dregs of the cup – the tea had been laced with a mild version of Veritaserum, just enough for Kuroko to feel he needed to tell more details than he might otherwise have done.

His smile was twisted as he saw the omens for betrayal and hardship along with the ones for loyalty and perseverance. A matter of perspective, indeed.

Setting the cup down, Professor Byrne ran a hand tiredly over his face. Albus Dumbledore was not a kind man, something Emrys had learned to his cost. He truly did not like spying on Kuroko this way, but the Headmaster had insisted – with blackmail – and Emrys had found himself in an untenable position.

Still, it was his hope that he would be able to offer Kuroko some assistance without Professor Dumbledore's knowledge. He was glad Kuroko had elected to take Divination this year. He simply had to arrange for Kuroko to understand how to see the pieces of the puzzle in the first place. With just a little good luck, Kuroko would be able to put them together on his own


End file.
